Tag Archives: Easy

Please allow me to introduce you to Magic… Magic, this is the people of the United States, Australia, England, France, Brazil, Russia, Spain, Poland, the Ukraine, etc. Sorry for those followers I didn’t list but I really dont know your all of your names so hopefully this introduction will suffice! This is a honestly one of the quickest week night dinners I have made in quite some time, and I have all the faith in the world that if your a fan of Chicken Cordon Bleu, you will love this majestical little gent!

I have to say that I think aside from dilly-dallying around my kitchen, sipping wine (surprisingly yes wine and not craft beer) it only took me about 35 minutes from skillet to plate! Who in their right mind do not like easy weeknight skillet bakes?! The devil, that’s who!

Ingredients

1 Pkg Cooked Penne

2 Cups Cream

1 Cup Cream Cheese

2 Cups Swiss Cheese; shredded

2 Cups Chicken; cooked + chopped

1 Cup Ham Cold Cuts; Chopped

3/4 Cups Bacon Crumbles

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

1 Tsp Onion Powder

1/2 Tsp Black Pepper

1 Cup Pepperidge Farms Stuffing

4 Tbsp Salted Butter

For this recipe as well as any other pasta dishes that include bacon, I use thick sliced bacon. I do this because I feel that it adds to the crispness and well as flavor.

What we need to do is cook the bacon nice and crisp so that we can crumble and add it in due time to our skillet bake!

I tend to cook my bacon using the water method but tomato-tomato, so feel free to cook your bacon however you want!

Personally, I have never over cooked bacon this way and it is always perfectly crispy and beautifully crunchy so until she proves me wrong, I will continue with this controversial cooking method! Pfffft you know I like to live life on the edge every now and then!

[Insert honey badger narrative voice here]

Would you look at that?!

Cook your pasta as directed on the packages instructions for al dente, then add your cream and cream cheese in a large oven safe skillet over medium heat all the while whisking to fully incorporate. Once it is all happy and combined, reduce the heat to medium-low.

Would you look at that! Also note that those are bubbles from whisking, NOT BOILING!

Toss in your Garlic + Onion Powder as well as black pepper… (Okay, now those are bubbles from simmering)

Once again, whisk well to combine!

Toss in 1 1/2 cup of your Swiss Cheese (reserving 1/2 cup for the topping) and you guessed it…. whisk well to combine… See? This is so easy, a monkey could do it!

Continue whisking until fully melted and at this point we want to reduce the heat to low.

Toss in your chicken and ham…

Stir well to fully combine all the magical goodness!

GAAAH MY GAWD THERE IS SO MUCH MAGIC HAPPENING RIGHT NOW THAT MY FEELING CAN NOT TAKE IT!!!!!

Finally drain your pasta and add to your skillet!

Toss well to fully combine and coat your pasta evenly, then remove from heat and set aside.

This delectable little number came from Smitten Kitchen who in turn got it from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. If you are curious about dabbling a bit in the art that is Julia Child, I came across a website dedicated to her recipes here. I know I will definitely be poking around on there in the future and for now, it will have to suffice until I remember to pickup her cook book the next time I am around a book shop.

Honestly, this recipe only took me about 20 minutes from start to finish. Easiest way, hands down, to please any seafood eater. Not only does it have the complexities of a dish from a fine establishment, but it also looks fancy as f**. Just saying. So with all of that being said, click on the links above for Smitten Kitchen’s recipe and other magical creations from Julia Child when you get a moment. You wont be sorry!

Ingredients

2 Cups Dry White Wine; I used Pinot Grigrio

6 Tbsp Butter

1/2 Cup Minced Shallots or Green Onions

8 Parsley Sprigs

1 Bay Leaf

1/8 Tsp Ground Pepper

1/4 Tsp Dried Thyme

1/2 Cup Chopped Parsley

1 1/2-2 Lbs Mussels; soaked and scrubbed

Combine all the ingredients except for the mussels and chopped parsley in a large pot.

Bring to a boil over high heat and allow to boil for 2-3 minutes so that all the alcohol evaporates and it reduces slightly.

Add your mussels to the pot and cover tightly.

Continue to boil, shaking the pot from time to time to ensure even cooking, for about 5 minutes. You will know the mussels are cooked thoroughly once they all open.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a large bowl and allow the broth to rest a bit so that any remaining sand falls to the bottom of the pot. Ladle the broth over the mussels and some into a separate bowl to dip some crusty bread in, and finally dust your chopped parsley.

This one goes out to all of my fellow gluttons out there- and to all of your inner fat kids just waiting to step out of the shadows. You know your inner fatty is pining away waiting for his/her moment when they can roll around in a big mass of greasy, crispy, crunchy, and salty french fries topped with the most delectable of all toppings. Yea, this is for you.

This is my “what has my life amounted to” face. OR better known as “I’m about to eat my feels real hard over here”

You know, it is whispered that these sinful little gems make even the devil blush. I am just saying [because no one ever reads these little blips]… if its enough to make the diablo himself blush, sign me up. I am talking super crispy fried french fries topped with fresh minced garlic and parsley, then to take it to a whole other level, we lightly drizzle these guys with some White Truffle Oil.

Then, if that wasn’t enough, we are kicking it up a notch here. 1 out of 7 of the deadly sins just wasn’t enough for us (we already admitted to gluttony) we also have sloth because I made these with frozen french fries. That is for both convenience and laziness. Now there we have it…. 2:7 of the deadly sins….

The price we pay for committing these traitorous acts? One night in purgatory. That is it. [Oh and maybe another inch on your waist line, but no one is judging]. Its okay though, one night is one night! And just think, when the devil asks you why you are there, you can make him blush by telling him you sinned with a big ole’ bowl of truffle fries!

Ingredients

1 Pkg Frozen French Fries (I used shoestring cut but use your favorite, or if your an over achiever make your own)

5 – 7 Garlic Cloves; smashed and minced (if you dont like a lot of garlic then feel free to scale it down a bit)

1 Tbsp Fresh Parsley; finely chopped

White Truffle Oil

*Oil for frying; I used coconut oil but use whatever you prefer

(*omit if you decide to bake your fries)

Smash and mince your garlic into smithereens then finely chop your parsley and set both aside.

Cook your fries using your preferred method. If you are pan frying like me, heat your oil in a skillet and once hot, carefully drop in small batches of fries so that they cook in a single layer.

Once crispy and golden, remove your fries from the oil and allow to drain on a cooling rack over paper towels or a baking sheet.

Combine garlic and parsley and mix well either using a mortar and pestle OR the flat of a spoon. The key is to smush it up just a little so that it is not exactly a paste but still pretty happily combined.

Transfer your fries to a large bowl or platter and drizzle lightly with the White Truffle Oil tossing well to coat. Finally scatter your garlic and parsley mixture on top and enjoy the fruits of your labor!

If you really want to make it more interesting, add a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese! I wont judge!

First order of business though is to crack open a nice and refreshing craft beer. You might need it to extinguish the flames if your anything like me. Honestly, one time I went to Buffalo Wild Wings with my sister and I got their Garlic Parmesan Wings… let me tell you I was burning up! That is the only thing on the menu that is not spicy, but here I am sitting at the table nearly reduced to tears while my sister has the time of her life laughing it up at me.

No big deal.

But with that being said, I am starting to ween my way into the land of fiery sriracha spiciness. Baby steps my friends, baby steps. Mind you this recipe is not as spicy as it sounds when I talk about it. I am not a normal person though, clearly, so the littlest spice is a lot for me.

What seems like eons ago, a big group of us went to this amazing hibachi joint called Goten of Japan for my birthday. This was only my second visit to Goten but will go down as the most memorable one thus far. I am talking great friends, family, cocktails, shrimp being tossed at your faces, saki in great abundance, oh.. I must not forget… the amazing hibachi chef who doubled as our entertainment for the night! If you have ever gone out for hibachi, you know all the tricks they have up their sleeves. It’s as if they are trained in comedy, food art, and pyrotechnics! Simply amazing!

Ugh, I went digging for pictures from Goten and realized this was in 2010…. time is flying and never ceases to make me feel old!

Anyways, the point of this is that when you order your hibachi, they start you off with a house salad with ginger dressing as well as a Japanese Onion Soup. Now I dont know if you have every had it, but it is like sweet sweet angel tears in a bowl! It is the most majestic soup I have had to date and I needed it in the worse way a bit ago. My problem was that I didn’t know what it was called, only that it had lots of onions and was the mac daddy of all things holy.

I went on a Google adventure and thought I found this delectable little bowl of happiness but was mistaken. What I actually found was Egg Drop Soup… Not Japanese Clear Onion Soup. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t upset in the least! It just wasn’t what we had at the all holy Goten of Japan. When I speak of happy accidents, this is exactly what I mean. Although it wasn’t what I thought it was, it was equally as amazing and has become a regular staple in my house hold! Happy Happy!

Now that I remissness as to how I ended up making this little gem, it reminds me that I have yet to make the Japanese Clear Onion Soup… That will have to be my next excursion!

Ingredients

5 Cups Chicken Broth; can be canned, homemade, or bullion cubes, just be sure its your favorite

Stir in scallions, a pinch of white pepper, and a few drops of sesame oil.

Be careful with the sesame oil because it is very strong and the tiniest amount will go a long way!

Just add a bit, stir, taste… then add more if needed!

(Also be sure you do use sesame oil because its what gives this soup its distinct taste)

Side note: After trying a few different kinds, Ka-Me is my favorite for Sesame Oil. I use the “Blend” as opposed to the “Pure Sesame Oil” so that it is a bit more universal and can be used as an “every day cooking oil”.

I hope you get the chance to try this recipe out, it is the easiest and only takes a total of 15 minutes start to finish!

Its also very versatile so you can adjust as needed adding corn, mushrooms, etc. or even omitting scallions and going a different rout entirely!